Loose-leaf binder



,W- E. NIMIZ ET AL Jan. 29, 1924.

' Loqsn LEAF BINDER Dec. 1. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /1V VENTORS Jan. 29, 1924.

, W. E. NIMZ ET AL 'LGOSE LEAF BINDER 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1921 2 sheets-555a z /NVENTORS 6.

A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

WILLIAM E. NIMZ AND MAX RUMPF, oroHIeAeo, ILLINOIS, nssienons 'IO EDWARD w.

NITED S'IXBJIYES I meant HILL, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. WILLIAM E. NIMZ tain improvements in binders of the t pe disclosed in the atent to Edward W. No. 1,224,465, 1 ay 1, 1917.

It is an object of our invention to pro vide simple yet very serviceable and secure means for holding the backs of a loose leaf binder in predetermined position.

It is a further object to provide a binder in \vhich'the parts will be subjected to a minimum amount of wear. 1

It is still another object to provide binder, the parts of which areeasily assembled and are not likely to get out of order and which will operate reliably.

I In general, the object is to improve the construction of loose leaf binders, and parill,

ticularly binders of the type shown in the Fig. 2 is a central horizontal sectional:

view through the binder shown in Fig. 1, showing the parts in locking posltion'; I Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in the unlocked position; Fig. 4 is a view showing the binder arranged for posting orfor inserting leaves Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 3; I

Fig. 6 is a sectional View, taken substantially in the plane ofthe'line 66 of Fig. 5; and Y Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentaryview 1, 1 921. Serial at. 519,078.

similar to 1, but viewed from the opposite direction.-

In said drawings, 8, 9 plates of the binder. To these plates may be fastened any suitable type of sides or leaf covers 10, 10. These back plates are usually provided with leaf-holding means which, in the form shown, comprises tele scoping pins 11, 12., These pins may serve to guide the back plates relatively to each other. Additional guide means may be provided, and for that purpose we have indicated slots 13 in one of the plates. The other plate is provided with headed studs 14 for co-action with the sides of the slots.

If desired, one of the back. plates may beprovided with flanges 15 at the ends, for overlapping the adjacent ends of the other back plate for guiding the two plates rela tively to each other. These flanges 15 may likewise abut the cover housing 16 of the binder when the parts are in open position, for posting or inserting leaves, for example, as shown in Fig. 4. This cover housing 16 may be secured to one back plate in any suitable manner, and this housing serves to house and protect the working parts to be hereinafter described.

One of the plates,8, is provided with a plurality of locking apertures or recesses 17 17. Theserecesses may be conveniently formed by slitting the metal of the back plate and displacing themetal adjacent the slits from the surface. thereof, as shown at 18, so as to leave abrupt locking shoulders 19 at one side of the slits, and so as to form inclined guides 20 at the other sides of the slits. Obviously the edge of the displaced metal 18 might constitute the locking shoulder or recess, this being a mere obvious reversal of the direction of the displacementjof the metal adjacent the slit. In the illustrative form shown, two sets of three rows of recesses are shown and the recesses of the separate rows are all in the same straight line.

a The otherback plate 9 in the form shown I has mounted thereon a plate which,,for convenience, we term a locking plate 21. As illustrated, studs 22 are secured to the plate 9, and coil springs 23, 23 surround the studs and bear on the locking plate 21 so as to indicate the back urge the latter into contact with the back plate 9. The back plate 9 is further provided with pivot studs 24, which may project through apertures in the'locking plate to raise the locking plate 21 away from the back plate 9 against the tension of the springs 23, as will'be readily understood.

The back plate 9 is provided with aphirali'ty'of apertu1'esindine with the recesses 17, 17 inthe back plate 8. The locking plate 21 is likewise provided with apertures in line with the apertures in the back plate 9, Locking lugs or pins 28 pass through the aperturesin the pates .9 and 21 and are adapted to coact with the locking shoulders L 19 in the plate 8, for holding the two plates. andcoilsequently the parts of theLbin-der in predetermined position after the leaves have beeninserted. In the form shown the looking lugs are round and are provided'with" beveled ends 29, which may ride upon the surfaces2O when the back platesarej being slid together. The lower sharp edges'of the locking lugs coact with the abrupt shoulders 19 for holding the backplates in predetermined position until the locking lugs are withdrawn. r

The locking; lugs may be provided with projecting stems 30', andin the form shown there disclosed a yoke 31 secured to the locking plate 21 and above the locking lugs. The stems 30 project through guides in the yoke 31, and coil springs 32 are interposed between the yoke and suitable bosses or flanges 33 ori the locking lugs.

VViththebevel-ended locking lugs it is desirable that rotation thereof be preventedso that the sharp edges will constantly be in the proper position for engagement with the abrupt locking shoulders. \Ne havethere- "tore provided guides to prevent the rotation of the locking lugs. In the form shown a plate 85 is secured to the locking plate 21 in proximity to the locking lugs. Part. of the bosses orflanges 33 on the lugs are flab tened and contact with the upstanding guide flanges 36, 36011 the plate 85. It will thus be seen that the lugs 28 are prevented from rotating and the springs 32 constantly urge the lugsin the direction 01. the plate 9, that is, into the locking position. It will likewise be noted that the enlargements or bosses on the lugsprevent the latter from slidiii completely through the locking plate.

When the plate '21 is separated or elevated from the plate 9 the locking lugs will be carried therewith and withdrawn from the locking position. so that the plates may be freely moved relatively to each other.

Since the mechanism just described is housed withinthecover member 16, it is desirable that means operable from the exterior of the housing be provided for elevating the locking plate 21. In the preferred form there is provided a bell 40, having recesses 41 for fitting over the ends of the levers 26. A projecting boss or stem 42 ex tends through a suitable aperture 43 in the housing, so as to be operable by the finger from the outside of the housing. It will thus be seen that by pressingon the boss or extension 42 the inner ends of the levers 26 will be depressed and the locking plate 21 elevated so as to withdraw the locking lugs 28 from their locking recesses.

It is often desirable to have a loose leaf binder locked so that unauthorized persons may not open the ledger for removing orinsorting leaves. For the purpose of locking the parts we provide on one of the plates a rotatable lock member 45, having projecting fingers 46. The outer end of the extension 42 is provided with a key slot through which a key may be inserted into engagement with the lock member 45. Then the lock member 45 is rotated by a key so as to bring the fingers 46 beneath the inner ends of the levers 26, it will be obvious that the bell 4O cannot be depressed to elevate thelocking plate from the back plate. An effective, lock is thus produced.

lVhen it is desired to' separate the backs for the insertion'or removal of leaves, it is merely necessary to insert the key and rotate the lock member 45 into the position shown in Fig. 1. The projecting boss or lug 42 may then be depressed and the fingers 46 will be receivedin the cut-out portions or recesses 46 in the bell 40. The depression of the boss 42 depresses the inner ends of the levers 26 and raises the plate 21 and consequently the locking lugs 28 out of engagement with their co-operating recesses. The back plates 8, 9 may then be separated from each other and leaves inserted or removed. gether, it is merely necessary to'place them in proper position and depress one relatively to the other. hen the back plates are moved toward each other the locking lugs 28 will ride over the recesses in the plate 8 until the desired position of the back plates is reached, when at least one of the lugs 28 will be in engagement with its corresponding locking shoulder or recess and prevent the separation of the plates. In the preferred form,at least one of the locking lugs of each set will always be in depressed position, that is, in the locking positioni In Fig: 6 the central locking lug is the one which is now holding.

For putting theback members tO loo 1 tively slidable back The back plates may be separated from each other as above described, and placed back to back. The end flanges 15 will then serve to guide the two back members relatively to each other. If desired, U-shaped arches may be applied to the pins on the back members for holding the latter together. New leaves may be inserted by simply removing the arches when the back members are in position as shown in Fig. 4, but where leaves employed are of the split hole type in general use, such leaves may readily be inserted or removed with arches in position. Y

It will be observed that there are few parts which are likely to get out of order. The coil springs for both locking lugs and the locking plate afi'ord direct pressure for moving the respective elements in the desired directions. The wear on the various parts is relatively slight. The parts may all be quickly and readily assembled into a completed structure.

While we have described in great detail a specific form of our invention, we do not wish to be confined to the illustrated disclosure, as changes may be made within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relaplates, means for guiding said plates, leaf covers attached to said plates, a locking plate associated with one of said back plates, one of said plates carrying locking lugs and another plate having co-operating locking recesses, a pair of studs on one of said back plates, coil springs surrounding said studs and bearing on said locking plate to constantly urge the same in one direction and permit the locking lugs and recesses to coact for holding the back plates in predetermined position, and means for moving said locking plate against the tension of said coil springs for releasing said locking lugs from said recesses.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively slidable back plates, means for guidin said plates in relation to each other, lodking lugs carried by one of said plates, the other of said plates having coacting looking recesses, coil springs mounted above and coacting with said locking lugs for urging the latter in one direction, and means for moving said locking lugs tocause the latter to be disengaged from the coacting locking recesses.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively slidable back plates, means for guiding said plates relatively to each other, a locking plate mounted on one of said back plates, studs carried by one of said back plates, coil springs surrounding said studs and bearing on said locking plate for urging the latter into contact with the back plate,

one of said plates having locking recesses, locking lugs carried by said locking plate, coil springs bearing on said locking lugs for urging the latter into locking position, and means for moving said locking plate away from its back plate and against the tension of the coil springs for withdrawing the looking lugs from the locking recesses.

4:. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively slidable back plates, means for guiding said plates in relation to each other, a locking plate mounted on one of said back plates, studs carried by said last-mentioned ack plate, coil springs surrounding said studs and bearing on said locking plate to urge the latter toward the back plate, levers coacting with said back plate and locking plate, a housing member for said lockin plate, and means operable from without said housing member for actuating said levers and moving said locking plate against the tension of said coil springs, said back plates having coacting lugs and recesses, said In s being movable in one direction with sald locking plate.

5. In a, loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively slidable back plates, means for guiding said plates, one of said plates having locking recesses, the other of said plates carrying co-operating locking lugs, said lugs having beveled ends, guides carried by said back plate and coacting with said lugs for preventing rotation of the latter, and means for withdrawing said lugs from the locking recesses.

6. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively slidable back plates, means for guiding said back plates, a locking plate carried by one of said back plates, springs for ur ing said locking plate toward one of sa d back plates, a yoke on said locking plate, locking lugs projecting through said locking plate, coil springs coacting with said yoke and locking lugs for urging the latter in one direction, the other back plate having locking recesses for coaction with said locking lugs, and means for moving said locking plate so as to withdraw the locking lugs from the locking recesses.

7. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively slidable back plates, means for guiding said plates, a locking plate carried by one of said back plates and movable relatively thereto, locking lugs carried by said locking plate, guides on the locking plate and coacting with said lugs for preventing rotation of the latter, the other back plate having slits therein and the metal adjacent said slits displaced to form abrupt locking shoulders for coaction with the locking lugs, and means for moving said locking plate to withdraw the locking lugs from their recesses.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of relatively movable back plates, YDBZLDS for guiding the back plates; one of said plates having a plurality of" locking recesses, 21. looking plate carried by the other back plate and locking lugs carried by the locking plate, a guide plate carried by the locking plate and having angular-1y extending guide members for eoaction with the locking lugs for pre- Yenting rotation of the latter. and means for i'i'ioving said lockingplate to Withdraw the looking lugs from engagement Withtlie looking; recesses.

9. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of rela- 'ively movable back plates. means for guidis ing the back plates one of said plates having:

a plurality 01" looking recesses, a locking plate carried by the other back plate and looking lugs carried by the locking plate, a lever for moving said locking plate in one direction, a housing member for said locking plate and lever and having an opening therein, an operating .member having an open notch in one edge with Walls loosely engaging said lever and operable through said opening in the housing, whereby the operating member may be operated from a point outside of said housing to actuate the lever and move the locking" plate.

WILLIAM E. NIMZ. MAX RUMPE. 

